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"What I will be saying to crossbench senators is that everything we are doing to move people from welfare to work is working," he told AAP.

"The welfare reform bill before the Senate is the next critical step in reforming the welfare system to get even more people to break the cycle of welfare dependency."

Labor senator Doug Cameron says the opposition will scrutinise any propositions put up by the government.

"No matter what they do with that bill, one thing you can be sure of is they will continue to attack social security recipients," he said.

Under the government's plan, anyone who tests positive will be shunted onto cashless welfare cards, while those who fail more than once will be referred to medical professionals for treatment.

Rebekha Sharkie from the Nick Xenophon Team has previously spoken out against the trials, but is expected to meet with the minister.

Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon is urging the crossbench to block the trials, which Labor and the Greens oppose, saying it doesn't work.

"We don't think this is a fair measure and we think that it has the potential to further marginalise an already vulnerable group of Australians," Dr Gannon told AAP.

If the government was to remove the drug-testing trials, the resulting separate piece of legislation would probably have to wait until parliament returns in February.

The remaining legislation would introduce a demerit point system for people who persistently dodge job-seeking obligations, tighten exemptions around drug and alcohol dependence and fold seven different existing payments into one.

Cassandra Goldie, from the Australian Council of Social Service, says the bill contains disturbing cuts to bereavement payments and scraps protections for people with extenuating circumstances to claim income support.

"Drug testing may be off the table, which is very welcome, but the bill has a raft of other social security cuts and changes that will make life tougher for people already struggling with poverty in Australia," Dr Goldie said.